This LinkedIn Playbook is based on insights from a recent one-time Mucker Growth Session webinar featuring LinkedIn growth experts Alec Paul (Founder of SalesBrand) and Kyle Williams (Founder of Brickstack). In this session, they went beyond the basics to demonstrate how to strategically leverage LinkedIn to build credibility, attract customers, and drive meaningful conversations, without resorting to spammy outreach or generic content.
LinkedIn has become a crucial tool for sales, networking, and brand building. However, many professionals unknowingly make mistakes that hinder their success on the platform. This playbook consolidates key insights and actionable strategies to help you maximize your LinkedIn presence.
Key Plays for LinkedIn Founders
Content Strategy
- Old Way | New Way: Instead of talking about your company and how great it is, because people have no connection to that, talk about what was the old way of doing things and how it can be done now.
- Define your Personal Hero’s Journey “Backstory”: It is more compelling to talk about your story and how you got to the answer than just stating it. For example, you got fired from a role and now you understand why. Being vulnerable will establish a connection with your audience so they don’t just feel you are selling to them, it doesn’t have to be on every post.
- Position Yourself As A CEO, Not Just A Founder – Titles matter on LinkedIn. Instead of referring to yourself as a “Founder,” use “CEO” or another executive title that conveys leadership and authority. This positioning can make a stronger impact and enhance credibility.
- Importance Of Post First 3 Lines: 90% of your post is the hook, the first three lines before it says see more. If you didn’t attract attention there the rest doesn’t matter.
Assume that every reader is cold and continue to reestablish why, e.g.: I went from SDR to VP of sales. When you can tell your story in numbers from your first role to where you are today.
- Avoid Reshares – LinkedIn’s algorithm deprioritizes reshares, meaning they won’t gain as much visibility or engagement as original posts. Instead, create new content that references the original post or topic while adding your own insights.
- Post Consistently – Aim to post at least twice a week when you are getting started. Regular posting keeps you visible to your audience and signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is valuable. Don’t post too much promotional content. But only post 1 to 2x per day and spread the times between each post for at least 4 hours. Use the ‘bell’ feature to follow top voices in your industry and get notified when they post — great for daily engagement and staying top-of-mind.
- Engage in Live Conversations – The comments section is a goldmine for engagement. Responding to comments and fostering discussions helps increase impressions and keeps your content circulating longer.
- Share Strong Opinions – If less than 10% of people strongly disagree with you, your opinion may not be strong enough. Thought-provoking and slightly controversial content generates more discussion and engagement. Not to say that every post should be controversial.
Your goal is to spark an ‘Amen, someone finally said that!’ from part of your audience, while others may completely disagree — that’s a sign your opinion is strong enough. - Learn from the Best – Study successful LinkedIn creators such as Adam Robinson, Sam Jacobs, and Gal Aga. Analyze their content strategies and adapt what works for your niche.
- Leverage LinkedIn Polls And Surveys – Interactive content like polls drives engagement and provides valuable insights into your audience’s opinions and preferences.
- Use Storytelling In Your Posts – Stories are more engaging than dry facts. Share personal experiences, customer success stories, or behind-the-scenes insights to create a more relatable connection with your audience.
- Utilize Hashtags Wisely – Use 3-5 relevant hashtags per post to increase discoverability without overwhelming the content.
- Use Carousels And Documents – Uploading PDFs or slide decks as carousels can drive more engagement compared to plain text posts.
- Experiment With Video Content – Short, informative, or engaging videos tend to perform well on LinkedIn and capture more attention in the feed.
- Repurpose Content – Turn high-performing LinkedIn posts into articles, infographics, or video snippets to maximize reach across different formats.
- Format Posts for Readability – Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and white space to make posts easy to read and digest.
- How Do You Find Ideas:
– Become a Journalist: observe a document, consume and comment, you have a perspective that is unique, take notes on everything you do. What is your unique information source that not everybody has access to?–What you’re looking for: Industry insights, tactics tips and playbooks, market analysis, personal stories, wins/losses, leveraging unique access.
Every time you have a meeting or something interesting happens, pull out your notes and write it down; every situation is a great opportunity to write about. There are also two starter tools for inspiration: Kleo and Tweet Hunter.
- Write for the Response (not the like): When you post, you want your posts to engage with your audience and get responses. You can place ideas that are partial to push the audience for their perspective or answer. You do not want answers like this was a great post, but actual opinions.
- Write in a Conversational Tone – Avoid overly formal language. Write as if you’re speaking directly to your audience.
- Create Thought-Leadership Content – Don’t hire a ghost writer, the main thought leaders write their content, once you start you will get used to it and it will get easier.
- Avoid LinkedIn Newsletters and Articles – It’s basically a dead feature. I would not invest time in your company page. The most distribution you’ll get is from posts on your feed. That’s it.”
– LinkedIn Articles get very little organic reach.
– The feed (regular posts) is where all engagement and algorithmic distribution happens.
– Use your time and effort to optimize your profile and publish posts instead. - Drive Interaction Back to Your Profile – Encourage engagement by prompting readers to comment, share, or send a direct message.
–“Every interaction should drive someone back to your profile.”
-“Your profile is your landing page. Use the featured section to drive them to offers, demos, or workshops.”
-“The hook should make people want to click. Assume your reader is cold.”
-“Posts that end with an open-ended thought or question increase engagement.” - Where Real Relationships are Formed: The post is 1 to many, DMs (direct messages) create 1:1 conversations, comments are somewhere in the middle 1 to a few and once you get a comment and a second response is where a relationship gets deepened. Your comments show up in your audience’s feed which helps amplify your own profile.
- Use Analytics to Refine Your Content Direction: “Once you post ~10–15 times, look at which ones got the most profile views and DMs — not just likes. That tells you what moves the business, not just the algo.”This shifts your strategy from chasing vanity metrics (likes and impressions) to creating content that actually drives business outcomes — like profile views, DMs, and pipeline conversations.
- Create an Internal Founder Swipe File: “Save your own high-performing posts. Revisit and remix them quarterly. You don’t need new ideas, just new angles.” Even pros forget this. It’s how you build leverage over time.
- Build a Comment-First Funnel: “Start 1 week just commenting before posting. This warms up the algorithm and gets you in rooms before you speak.” It’s a true cold-start hack.
- Turn Posts Into Conversations: After a post does well: “DM 5–10 people who liked it. Say: ‘Curious what resonated most?’ or ‘Are you seeing this trend too?’ This turns attention into leads.”Most creators leave value on the table by not capitalizing on inbound engagement.
- Old Way | New Way: Instead of talking about your company and how great it is, because people have no connection to that, talk about what was the old way of doing things and how it can be done now.
Profile and Page Optimization
- Your Profile is a Traffic Driver – Your LinkedIn profile is one of the best ways to generate inbound interest and direct traffic to your business. Optimize your headline to clearly state who you help and how, make sure your About section tells a compelling story, and utilize the Featured Section to highlight key content, lead magnets, or links to your website. Include 1–2 lead magnets or demo links that help convert interest into pipeline.
- Don’t Over-focus on Your Company Page Early On – For the first two years, your personal profile should be your primary focus. People engage with individuals more than company pages. Your company page will get a fraction of the views your personal page does.
- Make Use of LinkedIn’s Featured Section – Showcase your best work, lead magnets, or product offerings in the Featured Section to drive conversions.
- Optimize Your Profile for Search – Use relevant keywords in your profile summary, job descriptions, and skills section to improve discoverability in LinkedIn searches.
- Update Your Profile Regularly – Keep your information up-to-date, including your skills, job roles, and profile picture, to maintain credibility.
- Use a Professional Profile Picture and Banner – A high-quality photo and customized banner that aligns with your brand will help you stand out. This is quality real estate where you can place what you do. Your audience doesn’t know your brand yet so don’t place anything generic.
- Leverage Recommendations – Request testimonials from colleagues, clients, or peers to add credibility to your profile.
- Your Profile is a Traffic Driver – Your LinkedIn profile is one of the best ways to generate inbound interest and direct traffic to your business. Optimize your headline to clearly state who you help and how, make sure your About section tells a compelling story, and utilize the Featured Section to highlight key content, lead magnets, or links to your website. Include 1–2 lead magnets or demo links that help convert interest into pipeline.
Audience Growth and Engagement
- No Limit to Commenting on Others’ Posts – Unlike connection requests and outbound messaging, LinkedIn does not impose strict limits on commenting. Engaging with other people’s content is one of the most effective ways to boost visibility and build relationships. Regularly leaving thoughtful, value-driven comments on relevant posts can help establish credibility and attract new connections organically.
The secret formula to commenting on LinkedIn is that you can search by post and place people you want to target from your target audience and a timeframe e.g.: past 24 hours or week to make it easy to comment on relevant posts. The second thing you can do to not miss posts from your top 5 influencers is to go into the profile and press the “bell icon” and change the notifications to “all”. - Optimize Your Connection Requests – Instead of sending generic connection requests, personalize them by mentioning a shared interest, mutual connection, or specific reason for reaching out. A well-crafted message increases the likelihood of acceptance and lays the foundation for a meaningful conversation.
- Add 10-15 ICP Contacts Daily – Identify and connect with people who fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Unlike other social platforms, LinkedIn allows you to handpick your audience. Leverage this by strategically curating your connections and engagement. This proactive approach helps grow your network with relevant connections. Connections become followers. There is a 30,000 connection limit but you can send 150 per week (10-15 a day) and have 200 outstanding connections max with a 3-week delay on withdraws. A stronger LinkedIn signal teaches the algorithm.
- Be Selective with Connection Requests – Treat connection requests like a bouncer at the door. Accept requests from people who align with your goals, industry, or interests, rather than blindly accepting everyone.
- Engage with Other People’s Content – Don’t just post—comment on and share insights on posts from industry leaders, prospects, and connections to build relationships and increase visibility. An important connection will more likely accept your request if you previously engaged with their content.
- Leverage LinkedIn Groups – Join and actively participate in LinkedIn groups related to your industry to expand your reach and build credibility.
- Message Your Network Regularly – Maintain relationships by periodically messaging your connections with relevant insights, questions, or updates.
- Engage With Decision-Makers – Identify key players in your industry and interact with their content to establish rapport before reaching out directly.
- Delegate When Necessary, But Avoid Automation – While managing LinkedIn manually is the best approach, delegating tasks to a trusted assistant can help maintain consistency. Avoid AI-driven automation tools, as LinkedIn actively detects and bans accounts using them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How should I format my LinkedIn posts?
Avoid excessive formatting like bold, italics, or underlines, as LinkedIn’s algorithm doesn’t prioritize heavily formatted content. Instead, write in a clean, scannable style with short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear headings. Make your posts easy to read and digest to keep engagement high.
What are the biggest mistakes people make on LinkedIn?
The most common mistakes include resharing posts instead of creating original content, posting too frequently without spacing them out, ignoring the comments section, and overly focusing on the company page rather than building a personal brand.
How often should I post on LinkedIn?
At least twice a week. Consistency is key to staying visible and engaging with your audience. However, ensure that you are not overwhelming your followers with too much content in a short period.
How can I optimize my LinkedIn profile for conversions?
Your LinkedIn profile should be structured like a landing page. Use a compelling headline, a well-written About section, and a Featured Section showcasing your best work or offers. Include clear calls to action to direct visitors toward your desired outcome.
How do I build a high-quality LinkedIn network?
Add 10-15 from your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) contacts daily, be selective with connection requests, and engage meaningfully with people in your industry. Treat your network like a curated community rather than a numbers game.
What role do hashtags play on LinkedIn?
Hashtags help categorize your content and improve discoverability. Use 3-5 relevant hashtags per post to maximize reach without cluttering your message.
Should I use LinkedIn’s Featured Section?
Yes, the Featured Section is a great way to showcase key content such as case studies, articles, lead magnets, or product offerings that can drive engagement and conversions.
How can I get more engagement on my posts?
Post consistently, engage in comment discussions, share strong opinions, tell compelling stories, and respond to all comments on your posts. Also, leveraging interactive content like polls can significantly boost engagement.
How does LinkedIn detect automation tools?
LinkedIn has sophisticated algorithms that monitor unnatural activity, such as excessive connection requests, automated messaging, and bot-like behavior. Accounts using these tools risk being restricted or banned. You can use tools like Teller to detect browser extensions that LinkedIn flags for automation tools.
What’s the best way to delegate LinkedIn tasks?
As a busy startup founder, it may feel like you don’t have time to write LinkedIn posts. However, treating it like a skill you develop will make it easier over time; just like training a muscle. The more you practice, the faster and more naturally your posts will come together. Once you’ve established your voice and content style, you can delegate tasks to an assistant who can help connect with your ICP, manually engage with posts, respond to comments, and schedule content using LinkedIn’s native tools. Avoid using third-party automation, as LinkedIn actively detects and penalizes automated behavior.
Common LinkedIn Mistakes Founders Make:
- Relying on company page visibility instead of personal profile
- Using automation tools for outreach
- Resharing content without commentary
- Ghostwriting without founder input
- Posting without a compelling hook
